Pinstripes
"Pinstripes & Poltergeists" (alternatively titled "Ghosts" ) is the 47th episode of the series The Venture Bros. A new supervillain, Monstroso, is introduced and the audience learns more about the shadowy secret-agent organization S.P.H.I.N.X. (which Brock Samson joined in the Season 4 premiere, "Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel"). The episode marks the end of the "fall 2009 season" of the series, with the final eight episodes of the season not due to air until the summer of 2010.Clark, Christian. "Seeing More Venture Bros. in HD." Animation World Magazine. March 18, 2009. Accessed 2009-03-21. Plot The episode opens with a shirtless Henchman 21 ("Hench 4 Life" tattoed across his stomach) conversing with his deceased friend, Henchman 24. They discuss the meaning of life, the existence of souls, vegetarianism, and abortion, and 24 reveals that he chose to haunt 21 over The Monarch's cocoon and an old teenage heart-throb. The Monarch enters 21's room, and demands that he suit up so that they can "arch" Doctor Venture. 24 tries to embarrass 21 by saying (in a "spooky" voice) that 21 has photoshopped the face of Dr. Mrs. The Monarch onto soft-core pornography, but The Monarch cannot hear him as 24 can only be seen and heard by 21. The show's usual opening titles are replaced by a new "S.P.H.I.N.X. Theme" and new opening "S.P.H.I.N.X. title sequence" (featuring Brock Samson and Shore Leave). After the new main title sequence, former O.S.I. agents-turned-S.P.H.I.N.X.-operatives Brock Samson and Shore Leave (aka "Holy Diver", first seen in the season 3 episode, "The Invisible Hand of Fate") are breaking into the laboratory of evil scientist Dr. Schumpmaker, who is creating a mega-weapon out of various foul odors. They break into the lab using the amputated hand of one of the villain's henchmen, Brock entering from above, Shore Leave through the front door. Meanwhile, The Monarch, Dr. Mrs. The Monarch, and 21 shown flying in the Monarchmobile to the headquarters of the supervillain Monstroso (an individual first mentioned in the season 1 episode, "The Trial of the Monarch"). Back at Dr. Schumpmaker's laboratory, the two remaining henchmen and the Doctor have captured Shore Leave, who reveals that the Doctor has been targeted by S.P.H.I.N.X. because he has attempted to enter into super-normal crime without creating a costumed identity and joining the Guild of Calamitous Intent. Before Schumpmaker can execute Shore Leave, Brock enters and kills all three of them. At Monstroso's headquarters, the villain (who is also a lawyer) reveals he has rejected several of The Monarch's more outrageous schemes to defeat Doctor Venture in favour of an elegant 'papercut'; however, seeing little gain for himself in the deal, Monstroso threatens to "arch" Doctor Venture himself and cut The Monarch out of the game. Just then, 24 appears and tells 21 about two of Monstroso's masked henchmen (who are advancing quietly on The Monarch and 21), leading him to disarm and render unconscious both of them. Impressed, Monstroso agrees to help The Monarch. The scene shifts to the Venture Compound. Sergeant Hatred discovers Doctor Venture using the Venture boys' computer, unwittingly receiving chat messages from other pedophiles and unaware that the Nigerian money offer is an internet scam. As they talk, Doctor Venture receives an email informing him that his compound is in violation of zoning regulations requiring that 75 percent of his property be dedicated to "the care and upkeep of American rightness and the active defense of her civil needs." Venture immediately comes up with several ideas to bring his property into compliance. At S.P.H.I.N.X. headquarters, Brock and Shore Leave are cleaning up in a giant tomato juice-filled bathtub.Tomato juice is a folk remedy for removing strong odors, most notably used to remove the strong, foul-smelling odor of a skunk's anal scent glands from a pet's fur. See: Tkac, Debora. The Doctors Book of Home Remedies: Thousands of Tips and Techniques Anyone Can Use to Heal Everyday Health Problems. Reprint ed. New York: Bantam Books, 1991. ISBN 0553291564 S.P.H.I.N.X. leader Colonel Hunter Gathers berates the men, mostly Shore Leave as he constantly damages his uniform, but moments later a S.P.H.I.N.X. henchman arrives and informs Gathers about Monstroso's plan to take over the Venture Compound. At The Monarch's cocoon headquarters, The Monarch is bored by the lack of action generated by Monstroso's plan. Dr. Mrs. The Monarch is upset that The Monarch has joined forces with Monstroso due to the villain's legal prowess and history of double-crossing. 21, having stolen a BlackBerry mobile device from one of Monstroso's henchmen and used it to hack into Monstroso's computer system, informs The Monarch actually signed a document handing over all his "arching" rights against Doctor Venture to Monstroso. Momentarily distracted by Dr. Mrs. The Monarch's exposed cleavage as she thanks him, 21 ominously claims "I know now what I must do". At the Venture Compound, Doctor Venture attempts to induce Master Billy Quizboy and Pete White to sign a lease and occupy one of his abandoned manufacturing facilities. When they enter the building they discover that S.P.H.I.N.X. is using it for their headquarters. A jump cut moves the action a short time into the future, where Doctor Venture, Billy, White, Brock, Shore Leave, Mile High (aka "Sky Pilot", first seen as a background character in the season 3 episode, "The Invisible Hand of Fate"), and Col. Gathers are seated around a conference table in the S.P.H.I.N.X. building. Gathers reveals that S.P.H.I.N.X. used to be a supervillain organization, but it was wiped out in the "Pyramid Wars of '87." Gathers and others, disgusted with the ineffectual bureaucracy of the O.S.I., revitalised S.P.H.I.N.X. as a rogue organization which seeks out and defeats those super-powered criminals who the O.S.I are powerless against. Venture sees S.P.H.I.N.X. as the solution to his zoning problem, but the S.P.H.I.N.X. operatives refuse to participate in his plan. Meanwhile, 21 breaks into the Venture Compound. The ghost of 24 helps him defeat several of the security devices, so he can gain access to the property. But when 21 asks for more help, 24 refuses unless 21 shows off a secret ability (a skill at linking celebrity names to their perfume lines) to some of 24's spectral friends — namely the dead Monarch henchman Speedy (last seen in the season 1 episode "Dia de Los Dangerous!") and former President Woodrow Wilson. 21 impresses the two ghosts, but 24 asserts he still can't help beyond scouting due to the possibility that he is merely a projection of 21's fragile mind. Back at the cocoon, The Monarch wants to attack Monstroso for trying to double-cross him, but Dr. Mrs. The Monarch advises him that this would be ineffectual. The Murderous Moppets, Kevin and Tim-Tom, arrive and tell the two villains that 21 has gone to the Venture Compound on his own to attack Monstroso. Dr. Mrs. The Monarch realizes that this development puts The Monarch in the clear: 21's actions are unauthorized, which means the Guild cannot punish the Monarch for the attack, but if 21 succeeds, The Monarch's problem with Monstroso is solved. The Monarch then orders the Moppets to go clean the cocoon's toilets, a suggestion which Dr. Mrs. The Monarch agrees with (the Moppets are getting on her nerves). Her rejection of them sexually arouses The Monarch. Meanwhile, 21 encounters Brock Samson on the grounds of the Venture Compound, finally having found a worthy outlet for his repressed rage. The two fighters begin to battle one another, and 21 seems to be holding his own. In the S.P.H.I.N.X. building, Col. Gathers has finished wiping the memories of Master Billy Quizboy, though Pete White retains his memory as he is no threat, when Hank and Dean Venture walk in. Realizing that their minds will soon be wiped by Gathers, Doctor Venture takes the opportunity to enjoy taunting them with the truth about their birth and subsequent cloning. Outside, Brock has defeated 21 but tells the bruised henchman that he admires how much his fighting skills have improved. 21 reveals the reason for why he was entering the compound, and Brock advises him that an ambush is not the way to go about it. A short time later, as Monstroso is seated at his desk doing paperwork, 21 (dressed in a costume so as to absolve The Monarch of involvement) enters the villain's office and demands that Monstroso tear up the contract with The Monarch. Monstroso, believing he can easily defeat the henchman, puts on his devil's hood and approaches 21 menacingly. Just then, Brock Samson enters the room, and the two men attack Monstroso. The action freezes as the two launch themselves through the air, and the end titles run. After the end titles finish, a blood-covered but apparently uninjured Brock Samson sits in Doctor Venture's kitchen, eating a bowl of cereal as Hank Venture comes sleepily down the stairs. Hank goes to the cupboard, gets a glass, fills it with water, and walks past Brock to go back upstairs, drowsily murmuring, "G'night, Brock." Brock replies, "Good night, Hank." The sound of a glass shattering on the floor offscreen is heard as well as Hank's startled voice, saying, "Brock?" Cultural references * The episode title is a play on the Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Alternatively, it could also be Dungeons and Dragons. * Monstroso appears to be based on the Marvel Comics superhero Daredevil (a "devil"-themed costumed adventurer who also has a career as a lawyer) as well as elements of that character's archenemy, Kingpin (a crime-lord surrounded by masked men in suits and known for his massive size). Monstroso also has many physical traits similar to Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan (including LaVey's famous demon cowl, which Monstroso puts over his head for the purposes of "Guild Business"). * The S.P.H.I.N.X. title sequence mimics the title sequences designed by Maurice Binder for many of the early James Bond films.Taylor, Charles. "The James Bond Title Sequences." Salon.com July 29, 2002; Chapman, James. Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films. New York: Columbia University Press, 2001. ISBN 0231120494 * Col. Hunter Gathers asks Shore Leave "do you think Betsy Ross works here?". A reference to the seamstress who sewed the American Flag. * Brock Samson says that Shore Leave rips off his pants like a Chippendales dancer, who are known for wearing pants that rip away easily (due to the Velcro seams on the sides). * Col. Hunter Gathers tells his S.P.H.I.N.X. aide who has brought him news to "stop playing Jimmy Olsen," a reference to the news reporter in the Superman comics. * The after-credits scene is reminiscent of a scene in Billy Elliot in which the titular character hallucinates his dead Mother appearing as he gets himself a glass of milk from the fridge. * Col. Hunter Gathers calls Master Billy Quizboy "Short Round," a reference to the short 11-year-old Chinese boy in the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. * Shore Leave refers to Brock Samson as "Brock Lobster," a play on words of the song, "Rock Lobster" by the New Wave rock band The B-52's. * 21 dresses like Obi-Wan Kenobi from the Star Wars films. 24 provides another Star Wars reference when he helps waken 21 from unconsciousness after Brock Samson has beaten him. 24 tells 21 he "must go to the Dagobah system," an almost-verbatim line spoken by Obi-Wan Kenobi to Luke Skywalker in the motion picture The Empire Strikes Back. * 24 admits that in the afterlife he speaks with Star Trek actor James Doohan and the Russian mystic Rasputin. * Shore Leave uses the phrase, "...you bet your bippy"—a slightly altered version of the catchphrase "you bet your sweet bippy" used on the sketch comedy television program Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. * The Monarch complains that Dr. Mrs. The Monarch should fly the Monarchmobile higher to avoid tall buildings. 21 says that the last time they did that, they ended up on an episode of UFO Hunters, a documentary television series which began airing on The History Channel in 2008. * When 21 says he should tell others about the revelations 24 gave him about souls and such, 24 facetiously replies that he should write it down on a golden plate or get aviators and a compound in Guyana. The golden plate is a reference to Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon; the aviators refer to cult leader Jim Jones (who was known for wearing Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses) and the compound in Guyana refers to Jonestown. * When 21 calls for 24 after he breaches the Venture Compound, 24 asks, "What is this, I Dream of Jeannie?" * Sgt. Hatred has a red POW/MIA flag on his wall, a flag commonly displayed by U.S. military veterans and other concerned citizens. * The silhouette of the plane seen in the "S.P.H.I.N.X. Main Title" is that of the F-15 Eagle, which was featured in the OSI "opening" in "The Invisible Hand of Fate." * 21's tattoo across his abdomen reads "Hench 4 Life," similar to the way rapper Tupac Shakur had the phrase "Thug Life" tattooed across his stomach.White, Armond. Rebel for the Hell of It: The Life of Tupac Shakur. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press, 2002. ISBN 1560254610 * Master Billy Quizboy refers to Pete White as "the Pink Phantom." In the film The Pink Panther, the villain, Sir Charles Lytton, is known as "The Phantom." Billy conflates the names "The Phantom" and "Pink Panther" in a reference to White's albinism. * 21 wishes he could meet the cast of the television series, Firefly. * Shore Leave tells Brock to "go all Brock Ness Monster on them," an allusion to the Loch Ness Monster. * When 21 asks 24 the meaning of life, 24 gives a nonsensical answer before asking 21 to "Ask me something less Hitchhiker's Guide." This is a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, which states that the meaning of life, the universe, and everything is "forty-two". * As with Season 2 episode "Hate Floats", the finale shot is a reference to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The two main protagonists leap into attack, the scene freezes and a sepia filter is applied to the frame. Connection to previous episodes * This is Monstroso's first appearance in the series. He was first mentioned in "The Trial of the Monarch". In "Hate Floats", #21 mentions that, except for himself and #24, most of The Monarch's henchmen had "joined up with Monstroso's crew". * Twenty-four is shown to be haunting #21, while previously through season 4 it was ambiguous as to whether or not #21 was just obsessively talking to #24's skull. Given the closing to Return to Malice, in which #21 is confused when the skull moves itself, it appears as though he has only recently discoverd #24's ghostly existence. Ghosts have been an established part of the Venture Bros. in previous episodes, and in season 2, the ghost of Abraham Lincoln appeared as a prominent character. ** Following the rules established by Abraham Lincoln's ghost in the episode "Guess Who's Coming to State Dinner?", #24's ghost is incapable of interacting with physical objects, although he aids #21 by reconnoitering for him. He may be able to interact with certain objects that have not been established yet, as Lincoln's ghost could touch objects with his face on it such as pennies and $5 bills. The closing to Return to Malice suggests that #24 is not as incorporeal as he suggests, as that episode ends with a Henchman's hand crossing a name off of #21's list, yet when #21 enters the room it is empty and #24's skull has moved. * Speedy has a brief appearance as one of #24's friends from the afterlife. He was a rookie seen in the season 1 episode "Dia de Los Dangerous!" who was given a mercy killing by other henchmen as they could not get him out of Brock Samson's choke hold. * Brock Samson is seen for the first time since the season 4 premiere episode, "Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel". He also still has the metal plate over his chest where H.E.L.P.eR.'s head was lodged in. * Based on the explanation given by Gathers and Shore Leave for why the new S.P.H.I.N.X. was created, it can be inferred that in "Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel", Gathers and S.P.H.I.N.X. were attempting to take down Molotov Cocktease and her Blackhearts because they were not Guild-sanctioned villains. * Brock tells Doctor Venture that S.P.H.I.N.X. has been based on the Venture Compound "next to the boys" for a year now, indicating that the time between the "Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel" and this episode has been a full year. * Master Billy Quizboy comments "I hate you" to Col. Hunter Gathers after he mentions Billy's mechanical hand, a reference to the mission Gathers sent Billy on (in which Billy lost his eye) in the Season 3 episode, "The Invisible Hand of Fate." ** This is not the first time that Master Billy Quizboy has had his memories erased. As revealed in "The Invisible Hand of Fate," Billy has had his memories wiped repeatedly by the O.S.I., Pete White, and Doctor Venture. * Doctor Venture tells Hank and Dean about their mother (a mystery discussed in depth in the Season 2 episode, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills") and that they are both clones (a fact first revealed in the season 2 episode, "Powerless in the Face of Death"). However, this happens off camera, and both boys are subsequently mind-wiped by S.P.H.I.N.X. * When #21 confronts Brock in the Venture compound, #21 says, "Brock Samson, at last we meet." Brock replies, "Do I know you?" These are the same lines spoken by these two characters in the season 1 episode, "Tag Sale – You're It!". Brock even leans into #21's face and says "Boo!", hoping to scare him off as he did previously, although this time there is a different reaction. *First mentioned in "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills" and later built upon in "Tears of a Sea Cow", #21 once again shows that he has sexual feelings towards Dr. Mrs. The Monarch. Even 24 states to the Monarch (though unable to hear him) that "21 wants to nail your wife" and the fact that he photoshopped her head to many soft core porn pictures under a file labeled Special Software. At a later point, #21 accidentally peeks at her cleavage while she congratulates him, flashbacking to his first sexual experience - the reading of an abandoned pornographic magazine found on a hike. *The laser defense system Dr. Henry Killinger installed in "The Doctor Is Sin" is still fully operational. Production Notes * One of the animation directors (Kimson Albert) has a "nickname" inserted into his credits. The nickname is an unusual line or word from the preceding episode. For "Pinstripes & Poltergeists" the credit reads Kimson "Brockness Monster" Albert. * The "S.P.H.I.N.X. Theme" is credited to "WEEP" which is Doc Hammer's band. Notes and references Category:The Venture Bros. episodes